SEPTEMBER
- 2007
County plans to ask voters to renew sales tax in 2008 for public safety needs
- get the full story
Commissioner John Segale announces fall schedule for ‘County Coffee Chats’
Second District Johnson County Commissioner John Segale has announced a series of three “County Coffee Chats” in the fall to allow the opportunity for citizens to discuss current and future affairs of Johnson County.
His next County Coffee Chat will take place from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, September 22, at Scooters Coffee Shop, 10610 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Shawnee.
Other Chats are scheduled at the same time on Saturday, October 20, at the Black Dog Coffee Shop, 12815 West 87th Street, Lenexa, and on Saturday, November 17, at the Country Club Café, 21911 West 66th Street, Shawnee.
The County Coffee Chats are patterned after the Breakfast Chats that Commissioner Segale conducted while serving as a Shawnee Councilmember representing Ward 1. From 1997 to 2004, he had more than 70 Chats so that he could listen and respond to his constituents’ concerns.
Since assuming the post of Second District Commissioner in January of 2005, he has scheduled 15 County Coffee Chats in his district. His public Chats are open to all citizens of Johnson County.
back to top
Commissioners seek applicants to serve on six advisory boards
The Johnson County Board of Commissioners is now accepting applications from interested residents who would like to be considered for appointments to serve on six advisory boards of county government.
One of the vacancies is the final member of the Johnson County Public Art Commission. That appointment will be made by Fifth District Commissioner Doug Wood. The Public Art Commission will serve as a liaison between the Board of County Commissioners and the citizens of Johnson County. The commission will oversee the county’s new Public Art Program, establish general policies and procedures for the program, identify possible sites for public art, and screen art projects and selection of artists to be commissioned or acquired under the program.
The art commission will make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners regarding future public art projects. The Board must approve the final selection, location, and funding of the public art.
Other current vacancies include:
- Sixth District representative to the South-Central Consolidated Zoning Board. The appointment will be made by Commissioner John Toplikar;
- Sixth District representative to the Board of Zoning Appeals with the nomination coming from Commissioner Toplikar;
- Fifth District representative to the Commission on Aging with the appointment being made by Commissioner Wood;
- Fourth District representative to the Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee. The appointment will be chosen by Commissioner Ed Eilert; and,
- Chairman’s representative of a professional building codes official to the Contractors Licensing Review Board. The appointment will be named by Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh.
Johnson County residents interested in being considered for appointment to the advisory boards should submit their cover letter and current resume or curriculum vitae to the Board’s office at the following address:
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Attn: Appointments Clerk
County Administration Building, Suite 3300
111 South Cherry Street
Olathe, Kansas 66061-3486
Applications are available on the Board’s website at http://bocc.jocogov.org. For more information, residents should contact the Office of the Board of County Commissioners at (913) 715-0430.
back to top
City and county leaders gather at 2nd Annual Leadership Summit
Elected leaders and top management representatives from Johnson County’s city and county governments will gather Friday, September 28, for the 2nd Annual Johnson County Leadership Summit at the Overland Park Marriott Hotel, 10800 Metcalf Avenue.
The summit is being organized by Annabeth Surbaugh, chairman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, with invitations extended to elected leaders, city administrators, and key managers from each of the county’s 19 cities.
The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast and is scheduled to conclude at 1:30 p.m. The summit is aimed at bringing together city and county officials to focus on expanding networks, identifying shared interests, and gauging prospects for enhanced partnerships.
The program will feature a panel of local community leaders to offer their perspectives about “Opportunities for Local Leadership.” Panelists are:
- Tom Riederer, president of the Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corporation;
- Gary Sherrer, a member of the Kansas Board of Regents, a former Kansas lieutenant governor, and now senior vice president of economic development for the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce;
- Dr. Marge Kaplan, superintendent of the Shawnee Mission School District; and,
- David Warm, executive director of the Mid-America Regional Council.
Panel moderator will be David Adkins, vice chancellor for external affairs at the University of Kansas Medical School and a former member of the Kansas Senate and the Kansas House of Representatives.
The summit will include an update of the Johnson County Community Profile by Chris Tatham, vice president of ETC Institute in Olathe.
Topics for small breakout sessions by summit participants will include:
- Insufficient influence over state/federal legislation impacting Johnson County;
- Inadequate tax policies and over reliance on property tax to fund public services;
- Better cooperation between the county and cities in economic development;
- Lack of affordable housing options throughout the county for individuals and families; and,
- Poor traffic flows due to an inability to maintain and enhance roads and transit systems.
Two of the issues – affordable housing and transportation – were among the top five concerns listed at the first-ever Leadership Summit last year.
More information about the 2007 Leadership Summit is available by contacting Chairman Surbaugh or Sarah Plinsky, assistant to the county manager at the Johnson County Manager’s Office, at (913) 715-0738.
back to top
wastewater facilities receive four Peak Performance awards
Johnson County Wastewater has received four prestigious Gold and Silver Peak Performance Awards from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA).
The department was the recipient of three gold honors and one silver award for the year of 2006. The honors were ceremonially presented Thursday, September 20, to Kurt Winters, director of Operations and Maintenance, and four employees from the four award-winning wastewater treatment facilities. The others participating in the ceremony included Curtis Norris, assistant superintendent of the Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Treatment Plant; Ted Sanborn, superintendent at the New Century AirCenter treatment facility; Mary Pegg, superintendent at the Nelson and Blue River treatment facilities; and Kenneth Kellison, assistant director of treatment.
The presentation was made by Sixth District Commissioner John Toplikar, vice chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, during the Board’s weekly business session.
JCW received the awards and was recognized at the NACWA’s recent 2007 Summer Conference at Cleveland, Ohio. The Peak Performance Award program by the national organization recognizes public wastewater treatment facilities for their outstanding National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) permit compliance records.
Gold Awards honor treatment facilities that have demonstrated 100 percent compliance with their NPDES permits for an entire calendar year.
The Gold Peak Performance Award winning facilities were:
- Myron K. Nelson Treatment Complex, 4800 Nall Avenue, Mission; and,
- Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Treatment Facility, 10001 College Blvd., and Blue River Main Treatment Facility, 2625 W. 151st Street, both in Overland Park.
Silver Peak Performance Awards recognize facilities that meet all but one to five of their permit requirements during a calendar year. The industrial waste treatment facility, 50 Lee Blvd., at the AirCenter near Gardner was the recipient of the silver award.
back to top
District Court Trustee's Office celebrates 35 years of service - full story
back to top
County plans public meeting about changes to proposed South Metro Connection
The South Metro Connection Study Team will host an open house public meeting on September 27, 2007, to present refinements made to the roadway concept and alignment since the last public meeting in June.
The event is scheduled from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Stilwell Elementary School, 6410 West 199th Street.
Visitors may stop by the school gymnasium any time during these hours to review the proposed roadway location, talk with members of the study team, and leave comments regarding the changes. There will be no formal presentation.
Parking at Stilwell Elementary can be limited, so visitors are encouraged to consider carpooling with friends or neighbors.
The study team presented a preliminary recommendation of a parkway concept and alignment at a June 5, 2007, meeting in Overland Park, which was attended by more than 325 people. Due in large part to feedback received from the meeting, the study team has reviewed its recommendations and made changes to the proposed roadway alignment, speed limit, right of way, and truck traffic restrictions.
An environmental and land-use planning consultant has been hired by the study team to evaluate ways to link the parkway alignment to other planned amenities and green spaces.
The proposed South Metro Connection in southeastern Johnson County, Kansas and northwestern Cass County, Missouri is a study started in 2006 to identify a preferred alignment and corridor needed for road construction that is not anticipated to begin for 10-15 years. The route would connect the planned North Cass Parkway at Holmes Road in Missouri to U.S. 69 Highway in Johnson County. The project is currently being designed as a parkway-type roadway proposed adjacent pedestrian and bike trails.
The current study has identified a preliminary “preferred route” for the proposed roadway connecting at 179th Street and U.S. 69, but no final route has been approved and no funding has been authorized for acquisition of right-of-way or actual construction in either Johnson County, Kansas or Cass County, Missouri.
The study is a cooperative effort lead by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) in partnership with Johnson and Cass counties; the cities Overland Park and Olathe along with Belton, Mo.; the Kansas and Missouri Departments of Transportation; and the Federal Highway Administration. These agencies form the study team which conducts the study. HNTB is the engineering consultant on the study working for the study team.
Written comments received at the June 5 public meeting are available online:
A fact sheet with more details and a map of the new proposed roadway alignment will become available in the near future on the study website: www.marc.org/transportation/smc/.
More information about the study is available by calling (913) 312-4911; emailing southmetro@hntb.com ; or mailing comments and questions to South Metro Connection Study, HNTB, 7430 130th Street, Suite 400, Overland Park, KS 66212.
back to top
Meet Donna Lauffer: Friends to host event For new County Librarian
The public is invited to attend a reception for the new County Librarian Donna Lauffer on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS. The Friends of the Johnson County Library are hosting the event which will include music and refreshments.
The Library Board named Donna Lauffer to the top library post in July after a nationwide search. She joined Johnson County Library in 1979 and has served as Deputy County Library and Associate Director for Branch and Youth Services. Donna is active in the American Library Association and is involved with local and national groups. She is a national board member for the League of Women Voter and has served a president of the Johnson County and Kansas League of Women Voters. She has served on the United Way of Johnson County board and is currently on the board of the Civic Engagement Alliance, Kansas City Consensus and KC Forums.
Founded in 1956, the Friends of the Johnson County Library has provided more than 50 years of support to the Johnson County Library and has a membership base of more than 800. To join the Friends and support the Library, visit www.jocolibrary.org/friends or call (913) 261-2319 or pick up membership information at any Johnson County Library location.
back to top
